Between Then and Now
by dontrun
Summary: When Bella's cousin Rose finds out the truth of her parentage, both Bella and Rose's worlds get turned upside. Can they stay true to themselves and find love in the new world that they have been thrust into? Romance, Drama, Humor, Angst (pretty much cannon couples)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Welcome to the new story, this ride is going to be a little drama, a little angst, a little humor, and a little romance all rolled into one. Or at least that is what I'm planning for it. Visual aids will be on my dontrunffw blogspot .com. This chapter doesn't have any but there will be some with future visual aids. However, the banner and blinkie for this is up on the blog already. **

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

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**Prologue**

Sometimes, life hands you things that you never saw coming. One minute you are with the person you love more than anything in life, and the next, you are staring at papers saying that you are no longer together.

What led us here to this table, to this moment was a great loss that we couldn't seem to get past, no matter how much we loved each other. Our mutual pain breaking both of us till we were no longer the same people who got married. Instead, we were two broken souls who no longer knew who we were as ourselves, and really no longer knew who we are as an "us".

"Goodbye." Was whispered as we left the room, my heart still following my now lost love.

The overwhelming urge to run, to scream that we can do this, that we can be us again instead of what we've become is so strong. The set of the shoulders in front of me, and the determined walk lets me know that there is no reason to believe that my declaration will change anything. So, instead of doing what my heart was demanding, I climbed into my car and headed towards the nearest hotel that had a bar inside.

I was checking in because I have plans to get so drunk that I no longer remember my name, let alone how to drive.

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**AN 2: So did you like? Should I continue? If you didn't like feel free to hit the x at the top because I'm not in the mood for hate, or people picking apart something that I'm writing in my free time for free for people to read for free. **

**Also if you pray could you say a little prayer for my Mom she is battling tumors in her brain right now and we need all the prayers we can get.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

**AN: ************Thanks for the response to the prologue (and for all the wonderful prayers, thoughts and good vibes).** Note that this story as of right now is set to update on either Wed or Thursday every week, once a week, I'm only updating twice today because the Prologue is so short and I received so much love that I just had to give you all more. 

**We will get back to the prologue later. Just a warning this Bella's mind is a little snarky, a little crazy but full of heart and love. So she might seem a little off the wall at times, but trust me I have a plan. Oh and the prologue was an Unknown pov, so for those who thought it was Bella, it might be then again it might be someone else ;0)  
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**Chapter 1**

**Bella's POV**

"I'm not doing it, Rose!" My yell could probably be heard through the whole apartment complex. "For the millionth time, I'm _not_ crashing some rich people's party, where we'll probably be arrested for trespassing."

"Bella, please!" It's odd to see my beautiful strong cousin begging, it almost did me in. Almost.

I really didn't want to be arrested for anything, let alone trespassing during one of the biggest charity fundraisers of the year.

"Bella, I have to know, I just have to." A tiny tear slipped down her right cheek, breaking my resolve to stay angry with her. Rushing to her side, I can't help but pull her into a tight hug to show my emotional support for her.

"Rosie, I love you, but I don't want to ruin our lives by going to jail, there has to be another way." I swear in my mind that came across a lot stronger than the whiny beg-_y_ version that actually slipped through my lips.

"There isn't, Bella, this is it. I have to know, I can't live with this hanging over my head. The unknown is driving me insane." Her blue/green eyes were so sad and I had to squeeze her tighter.

It was odd to see her like this. Before the news that crashed her world came, she was so strong and self-assured. And then three months ago, my cousin received the news that the man she'd always believed to be her father, was in fact _not_ her biological dad. She may have taken it better had it not been thrown out of left field at her in the middle of her parents' divorce hearing, when her Dad was calling her Mom an adulterous whore who tricked him into raising her bastard child. Her Mom, my Mom's older sister, Irina, shoot back that she only cheated because he had. Needless to say, the whole thing went down hill quickly, leaving Rose in tears and both her parents spending the night in jail for contempt of court.

When Irina finally returned home Rose confronted her, demanding to know why her father was saying these things. Irina broke down and told her that one night, twenty-four years ago, she and the man Rose's believed to be her Dad, Max, had a huge fight after Irina found out about his affair with one of her (now) former friends. Irina had left Arizona and flew to Seattle to stay with my parents. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to call ahead and they weren't home. Since cell phones weren't as common then, she had no real way of tracking down Renee. So, instead of waiting for them, she checked herself into a swanky hotel using Max's credit card.

She figured he played, so he'd pay for her stay.

That night, she'd went to the hotel bar, planning to drink her troubles away and found herself sitting next to a man who took her breath away. His name was Carl, or that is how he introduced himself as they both sat downing scotch and soda. Carl and his wife of five years had just finalized their divorce and he'd been torn up over the loss of his marriage.

The poor guy was still in love with his wife.

So, they'd spent most of the night bonding over their failed marriages. Even though the marriages were ending for two entirely different reasons, the loss of their marriages was taking its toll on both of them. And in response, they were taking advantage of some top shelf Scotch.

As the story goes, one too many drinks later and they found themselves in Carl's hotel room where they'd spent the next three days naked and indulging in each other (and more Scotch). Irina thought she had found the love of her life, my Mom claims it was the Scotch not the man that Irina really loved though, until his ex-wife called, telling him there was an emergency and he had to come quickly. Carl apologized, gave her his office number and told her to call and leave her contact info on his voice mailbox. Before he hightailed it out of there like his pants were on fire to get to his ex-wife, whom my Aunt had forgotten in her deluded, over-sexed, slightly still-inebriated state that he was still in love with.

My Aunt called and left her information and then called my parents to tell them she was in town. They insisted she come stay with them, Irina wanted to stay at the hotel in case Carl came back. Well until Uncle Max cut off the credit card and she had no choice but to leave. So, after finally having moving in with my parents Irina waited, and waited for two months, with no word from Carl. One day in late May, she was watching the evening news with my Mom when the man himself was flashed across the screen, billionaire Carlisle Cullen and his ex-wife Esme Masen-Cullen had reconciled and were getting remarried. The soon to be once again Mrs. Cullen, had had a hand placed over the barely noticeable baby bump, and both wore beaming smiles, looking at each other like there was no one else in the world.

With no hope of getting Carl back, and having filed for a divorce from Max, Irina went looking for work, trying to move on with her life. On the bus, on the way to a job interview, she passed out. At the ER they told her the news, she was pregnant. Not knowing if her baby was Max's or Carl's she called her husband to let him know. He asked her to come back to Phoenix, saying it didn't matter they could raise the baby together. She did just that until Rose was nine, and Max cheated again. This time she called ahead, and she and Rose moved in with my parents.

My parents had moved out of Seattle when my Mom was pregnant with me, wanting to raise me in my Dad's hometown of Forks, Washington. He took over for the retiring chief of police, my Grandpa Hank. Not long after they arrived, my Uncle Max showed up begging for another chance. Aunt Irina had refused to go back to Arizona, so he'd found a job in neighboring Port Angeles, to try and prove he was changing. A year later, they reconciled and stayed in Port Angeles. And that is how it stayed—the three of them living an hour and a half away, till Rose turned eighteen and went off to Seattle for college. Aunt Irina and Uncle Max finding themselves alone after all this time, fought more. Having no buffer between them, old hurts kept coming up and it wasn't pretty. We often found my Aunt staying in our tiny guest bedroom.

I joined my cousin in Seattle a year later. We roomed together in a tiny dorm room, sharing a bathroom with twelve other girls. That is, until my sophomore year, when I could finally move off campus, and we got a crappy apartment, with our own bathroom about three miles from school. Dickens' it was the best of times, it was the worst of times comes to mind, when I think about that apartment. The worst of times being when Rose was mugged coming home and was severely beaten. She needed a lot of blood, and Uncle Max flipped when he found out that his daughter's blood type could never have come from him. Unbeknownst to the family, while Rose lay unconscious in a hospital bed, my cold Uncle did a swab test for DNA, finding out that she actually _wasn't_ his daughter. He filed for divorce the day after Rose got out of the hospital.

The divorce was, to say the least, contemptuous. Max and Irina going back and forth, Max's many infidelities, Irina having another man's child. Irina telling the judge that she told Max long before Rose was born that there was a slim possibility that she wasn't his baby. When the dust was settled, twenty-five years of marriage, twenty-five years of lies ended with my cousin being utterly broken, her Mom getting no spousal support and only a small bit of the accumulated assets of the marriage, and Max ending up running off with his lawyer's twenty-six year old assistant, the one with large silicone breasts.

Rose confronted Aunt Irina who spilled the beans about her little interlude with Carl. She took forever to admit that Carl was actually _the_ Carlisle Cullen, Rose finally ended up threatening never to talk to her again before finding out the truth. It wasn't pretty. When she caved Irina cried, Rose cried and then my Mom and I cried too because we are sympathetic criers who can't help but cry if someone else is. Okay. It might be because the story was so sad, but I'm sticking with the sympathy angle to try and seem less like a marshmallow.

A year after finding out the dirty details, Rose became obsessed with anything Carlisle Cullen, especially with meeting the man who was her biological father. Irina begged her daughter not to search him out. Carlisle and his wife had successfully remarried and had two sons, though not much is known about them, the Cullens being private people.

Irina didn't want to ruin Carl's life. Rose couldn't see how a daughter could ruin a man's life. She saw it as he wasn't married when she was conceived, so how could it hurt his marriage. Sadly, none of us could talk any sense into her. That perhaps Carlisle hadn't told his pregnant wife that he got it on in a hotel room with a stranger just hours after signing the divorce papers.

Last week Rose found out that Esme Masen-Cullen was having her annual summer garden party for charity. They opened up their sprawling estate to people willing to pay a thousand dollars per ticket, the money going to help a program Esme started to help foster children aging out of care to get set up in the real world. It was a noble charity, one that had many success stories if the news was anything to go by. Rose knew the whole family attended the event, meaning Carl would be there. Rose planned on gate crashing the party, slipping in and acting like guest who bought tickets. Two thousand dollars was about three months of our rent, so it's not like we could afford to buy the tickets.

"Rose, we can't even afford the dresses to go to the party, let alone the tickets." While both of us had graduated college, the job market sucked. Rose was slightly better off with her computer science degree, working in the Geek Squad at Best Buy, it pays over minimum wage, and is full time. My own degree in history landed me a job as a check out clerk at Pet Smart. Sadly, my knowledge of the past wasn't going to get me the big bucks without a Masters degree. Okay, so really it wasn't going to get me a livable wage without a Masters degree; big bucks weren't really in the picture. Anyways, it was back to school I will soon be going, at least, as soon as I can pay for the GRE and applications fees without having to live off peanut butter and jelly for the month.

"We buy them, then return them the next day. While not ethical, people do it all the time." Her eyes filled with tears, breaking my heart. "I just have to see him, Bella, please!"

"You're calling the Chief if we have to get bailed out!" I tell her, giving in. With an excited squeal and a tight hug, Rose begins to explain Operation Daddy Gatecrash.

~0~

Dress shopping, even when you plan to return them, on a budget didn't leave a lot of room for places that most of the attendees of this soiree would shop. However, a tip from Leah who's the girlfriend of my other cousin, Jake—who's my Dad's sister, Sarah's son—led us to a really nice thrift shop where we could actually afford to keep the clothing we bought. Leah worked there and got a discount that she was nice enough to share with us, since she was in "love" with my baby cousin and she wanted me on her side. Aunt Sarah was a little put off by Leah's tattoo, and the weird piercing in her eyebrow that looked like a bone. She was a sweet girl, though, just not so great at picking out facial piercings.

It seemed rich people donated some really nice clothing if it was a season too old to be in their wardrobe. Looking at the clothes, it seemed like a lot of them maybe wore this stuff once, maybe twice before donating them.

_Which totally rocked._

Rose and I found our dresses and a lot of other nice things that we splurged on. Two hundred dollars later we had the dresses, and two new (to us) outfits each, then headed to the shoe store. The thought of wearing shoes someone else had worn icked me out, so I drew the line there. I did however have another connection who's discount I was about to take advantage of. It was Eric, my ex-boyfriend. He worked at Lady's Lovely Feet, a shoe store that prided itself on designer styles at Payless prices. Eric and I broke up amicably when we both discovered that we had crushes on Ryan Reynolds. Which is probably why we never got past the kissing stage after three months of dating.

"I hope they have something that goes with this dress," I say to break the silence in the car.

"If nothing else, white, or cream would go with them; and since its summer, white is abundant in shoe stores right now." Her voice is distracted, and I'm so glad I'm the one who is driving, cause she is so in her own world.

"True," I tell her, because her advice was true, but still her voice said the lights are on and no one is home.

"Hey we're here," I tell her as I pull into the parking lot. She barely acknowledges that I've said something, her eyes closing then reopening before she unbuckles and gets out of the car.

"Remember, nothing that looks cheap, and nothing that would stand out, we are blending in," she tells me, though it sounds more like she is repeating a mantra from her head out loud.

"Got it." I lead her into the store, waving at my homie Eric, and his boy toy of the moment, Russ—or is it Ross—I can't remember. Eric rotates men as often as people rotate milk, two maybe three weeks tops, then it goes sour and down the drain.

"Bells, loving the hair today." He points to my French braid with a smile.

"Eric, loving the tie." I joke in response, though really the tie was cute with little shoes in various colors on a black background, it was standard issue for the male employees to wear here at LLF.

I show Eric a picture of our dresses and he nods before dragging us towards the size 8 shoes for Rose. He quickly finds the shoes he thinks are right and makes her try them on. Of course, they fit perfectly. Eric is a butch gay man, but he is the shoe whisperer. Next, he heads for the size 7 shoes for me. He tosses me two different pairs, making me put on both before nodding to himself and grabbing a third from a higher shelf and making me slip them on. Of course they were the perfect shoes for my dress, and best of all, they were on sale. A few minutes later, fifty bucks out of our pockets, a promise to have some coffee next week to fill him in on everything—oh, and his reminding me that he will not be the one to call the chief to bail us out of jail—Rose and I are off to our little apartment to finish planning what could be the worst idea she's ever had, and that I've ever gone along with.

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**AN2: Hope you liked it. Reviews are like crack and I'm it's hoor, so please feed my addiction ;0) For those who fed such addiction you'll get a review reply with a sneak peek of the next chapter, since it is already written and beta'd :0)  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

**Merry Christmas Eve all, in the spirit of the holidays (and because I'm going to be gone for a few days) I'm posting this update early. **

**I will not be giving out who the prologue was, sorry that one is a secret till it is revealed. No Rose isn't a selfish bitch in this, and Bella only seems insane, ok she might be a little insane lol. Anyways this week's update has visual aids going up on the blog tonight...if you like that kind of thing. **

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**Bella's POV**

**Chapter 2**

By the time Rose and I finished our research on this annual garden party, we were exhausted. We wanted no stone left unturned, we had to fit in. We had to get in undetected. We went all CIA-spy-network-checking this out. Okay, so we lacked the wire taping, but we went old school look up. Yep. We Googled and used Yahoo. We worked our butts off.

Hell, we had to get in. And not get arrested.

We learned that some local social workers, in addition to some former foster kids the program helped, also attended the event. So, our less than million dollar wardrobes could pass, or so we hoped. Still, we hoped what we got would work for us. Hopefully, the dresses we picked out would fit in with other party goers, without being stand out outfits or major attention getters. The plan was to blend at all cost—not knock anyone's socks off, not look like we were broke, a just-graduated-college-girls who work for a little bit over minimum wage. Not that there was much we could do about the dresses now, but we both still liked them and felt we made the right choice, so we dressed and prayed.

Our research in hand, we loaded into our little car and headed for the big house. Thankfully, the Cullen family lived in the upscale outskirts of the city, instead of on the Island. Because, a get away when you are dependent on a ferry, that only runs so many times a day, isn't that easy. Instead it was one of those nice neighborhoods with huge estates, historical values, and houses that had names.

Sneaking in, we knew we had to have some idea of the layout of the estate. Entry and exit were extremely important to this mission. So, we utilized Goggle earth as best as we could, and struck a goldmine when we found out that Masen-Cullen mansion was a listed historical home, with publicly accessible blue prints down at the famous architects of Washington State museum. Which meant, we were able to get a good idea of the layout.

The plan was, we'd sneak in very carefully.

_Well, that part was a no brainer, hehe._

The rest of it kind of went like this: the neighbor's home on the left was foreclosed on recently, a low gate at that side of the house easy to climb leading into the Cullen family yard. Bringing a step stool to go over seemed the logical choice. However, we really lucked out that the gate to the front of the home had been damaged by the disgruntled former owners after loosing the house to the bank. It didn't lock, it was shut, but the lock didn't work, so we could just go right in. That knowledge came from a very helpful guy at the local real estate office handling the home, we went there pretending to be interested in buying it and Rose worked her mojo, a.k.a., her C cups on him. He spilled the beans, and a lot of drool, I might add.

After making it over the fence, we worked our way towards the noise in the back. When we drove by, casing the place before borrowing the neighbor's house to break in, we noticed that the tickets were being taken as cars arrived, so hopefully no one would ask us for ours.

Rose grabbed two glasses of wine off a passing waiter's tray, handing me one with a small smile. She took a large gulp before looking me over to make sure the journey over the fence didn't mess up the illusion that we belonged.

"You look great, cuz." I couldn't help but agree. Though I'm not vain by any stretch of the imagination, the dress I picked out with its shades of blue on a white background really worked for me and the shoes pulled the a shade of blue from the dress and made it look so put together, that I was shocked it was really me. Of course, Rose was stunning, even trying to blend in, she still stood out. Her long dark blond hair, carefully highlighted with lighter shades pulled back from her face, a white dress with tasteful red roses, and matching red open toe kitten heel pumps. All in all we both looked good. Hopefully, good enough to fit it.

"You too, Rose."

"Okay, now we only have to find Carl. He has to be around her somewhere." Her blue green eyes wide, she looked almost as excited as a five year old on Christmas morning.

"Calm down, girlie, you'll get us kicked out of here before we can even find your bio Daddy." Rolling her eyes, Rose grabs me and drags me out towards the more crowded section of the party.

Looking around, we easily blended in with the crowd. While there was a major contingent of people wearing designer clothing, some wearing way too dressy for a garden party, others were in more modestly priced gear that would make our clothing seem as if we belong.

"Over there, that is Esme Masen-Cullen," Rose whispered in my ear, jerking her head towards a group of women talking. I recognize her right away. We'd seen her picture enough since Rose found out about her parentage. Esme Masen-Cullen was a beautiful woman with Carmel colored hair, hazel eyes, standing about five seven, barely looking 35 let alone almost 48. She seemed so together, and from all accounts we've read, she also had a huge heart. He creamy colored lace dress screamed class and it underlined her natural grace that seemed innate in her.

"Hi." A female voice that is almost like music draws Rose and my attention.

"Hello." Rose is the first to recover and respond to the small woman.

And boy was she _small_. Standing at maybe five feet even, with beautiful features, deep brown eyes and black hair that hung to her shoulders, she looked about twenty, if she was even that old. The girl was smiling, so I'm assuming that she wasn't there to have us arrested or kicked out.

"Hi," I throw out, belatedly.

"My name is Alice, I'm Esme's… I mean, Mrs. Masen-Cullen's assistant. I must have missed you both when you came in, so, I wanted to let you know that after the auction, we are having a raffle. Everyone gets one free ticket to the raffle, and subsequent tickets are twenty dollars."

"What is the prize?" Rose asks without thinking. I mean, what if everyone is supposed to know what the prize is?

"Oh, it's a surprise, that is why it's called a blind raffle. Nice try trying to sneak out the prize info out of me." She laughs, and I swear she seems to be the sweetest person ever. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names?"

"I'm Bella, and this is my cousin Rose." I point to Rosalie.

"Ladies, I hate to butt in, but Esme is looking for you, Alice." A big bear of a man interrupts, placing his hand on Alice's shoulder. I swear, she looks even smaller next to all six foot five of him.

"Oh, thanks, Em!" She gives him a huge smile. "Emmett McCarty, meet Bella and her cousin Rose." She introduces us, and my, am I glad she did, it makes it seem like we are invited guest. I mean, she is the host's assistant and all.

"Hello." He gives Rose a huge smile, and I can tell like most men, he has fallen in lust with my beautiful cousin.

"I hate to be rude, but I have to go check in with Esme, umm… Mrs. Masen-Cullen" she corrects herself again, "I'll catch up with you later." With a wave, the little one floats off like a ballerina dancing on air, only without the dancing and the whole flying thing that floating implies.

"Have you, ladies, found the buffet table yet? I was on my way over to hit up the shrimp cocktail." He points towards an at least twelve foot long buffet area that was filled with food.

"Well, Mr. McCarty, Bella and I were just on our way over to peruse the offerings, would you like to join us?" Rose bats her lashes and the big guy's smile gets even larger. _I swear, you could fall into his dimples._

"I'll be the envy of all other male guest with two lovely ladies on my arm." He flatters us both, before offering both of us an elbow to walk us over towards the table.

Emmett wasn't kidding when he said he wanted some shrimp cocktail, and some of about everything else. The big guy could pack in the food. Rose and I both took small lady like portions, like those we saw the overly thin socialites taking from the table, we shared a look that clearly spoke a trip through Taco Hell after the party was in order.

We sat at one of the many tables spread out around the bricked off patio. Emmett would talk here and there between bites, mainly about how great the charity was. He told us that he'd been involved for the past five years, but his parents had been for many more than that.

Our new buddy, Emmett's Mom was Esme's high school BFF.

"So, how have I never met the two of you before?" He asks us both, though his eyes rarely leave Rose.

"It's our first time here," I explain simply, not wanting to lie.

"Well, it's always nice for new blood to join us." A warm female voice came from behind my right shoulder, and I did my best not to startle when I turned to see Esme Masen-Cullen standing there, looking at all of us with a smile as warm as her voice.

"Hey, Auntie Es, let me introduce you to Rose and Bella." He points to us when he gives our names, his boyish grin never leaving his face.

"Hello, ladies, it is so nice of you to join us today." She looks over towards the crowd, then back at us, "I'd love to join you and get to know you both, but unfortunately I have to circulate. Hopefully, we'll catch up later." She tells us, her voice so sincere it's hard to think she is just giving social platitudes.

"I hope we can as well," Rose replies, her face a bit frozen, I think in shock.

"Me too," I add, giving what I hope is a sincere look.

"Later, Aunt Es." Emmett stands up, gives her a sideways hug, before sitting back down with Rose and I.

I watch as she walks off before turning my head back towards my cousin. Rose's face is slightly pale and she looks like she needs a stiff drink, or to go home and pretend that she never came here.

"Mr. McCarty..." I start and he raises his hand to stop me.

"Emmett or Em, please, ladies." I nod in agreement.

"Emmett, could you point me towards the little girls' room?"

"Yes, Emmett, that would be great," Rose adds, giving me a relieved look.

"I can take you there, if you'd like?" He offers sweetly.

"If you could just point it out, we'd hate to inconvenience you." Rose gives him a flirty look, and he melts, looking like he'd rather show her to a room alone instead of pointing her to a bathroom away from where he was going to be.

"If you go in through the doors, go through the great room to the hall, make a right and on the left there is a restroom. If that one is occupied, you can go up to the top of the stairs and to the left, three doors down on the right, there is another bathroom." We give him a smile and promise to rejoin him in a few, before taking our leave.

Without even needing to discuss it, we head for the bathroom at the top of the stairs, to get further away from the mess we've landed in. Yes, so far we haven't been caught, nor has anyone tried to kick us out, or been mean. Still, we were in the middle of the unknown, in the middle of a place that at any moment, we could be kicked out. I think coming face to face with Esme had really rattled Rose.

"Bella, I think we should sneak back out." Are the first words out of her mouth once the bathroom door is shut behind us.

"Are you sure?"

"I can't… I just… Bella, she was so nice, and seeing her in person made her so real. What if… what if my being here, if Carl finds out about me… what if she didn't know about his time with Mom? I can't be the one to ruin their lives." She looks so broken. "I can't be so selfish as to maybe hurt them both." I give her a hug, knowing what this is costing her. I couldn't imagine not knowing my Dad, and I couldn't imagine going this far and not meeting him either.

"If you want to go, we can. I won't stop you. Just know that it is up to you, and that you may never have another chance like you are getting today. I mean, you just planned to see him, not to rush up to him and scream that you were his daughter."

"It took all I had not to tell her, I'm not sure I could keep it from him. I'm not as strong as I thought I was," she tells me firmly.

"Well, do you want to go back over the fence? Or can we go out the front door?" I joke, trying to lighten the moment.

"Oh hell, in these heels? Front door." She smiles, though you can tell she is fighting off the tears.

"I guess we'll never know what the blind raffle prize is." I act disappointed and she rolls her eyes.

"Let's go, Bells, while I still can." Her voice is serious, and I squeeze her hand before opening the door.

We quietly descend the stairs, looking for the front entrance. The house is beautiful, but so warm. Nothing like the cold mansions you see on shows like Life Styles of the Rich and Famous or Cribs. It's a home, not just a show place. Only it's a huge home, and since we went up the back stair case we have to walk all the way around to find the front door. How many homes have more than one stair case to the second floor? Dang.

"I'm sure you can figure it out, son, I have complete faith in you." A male voice could be heard saying as we rounded around to the front door.

"Dad, I've never been this blocked before." A doorway opened to what looked like a home office, with two men talking. One with almost copper-colored hair, the other one unmistakably Carlisle Cullen. Rose's intake of breathe reminds me that we are now trying to avoid him, not seek him out. I try to figure out how to hide before the pair can see us.

"Maybe you should step away from it, take a vacation, or maybe go out and meet a nice young woman to date. You know how much your Mother is talking about grandkids lately." He gives a soft laugh, and I'm trying to drag Rose away.

"I'm twenty four, kids are a long ways out for me, old man." The son gives a warm chuckle, before turning his head and looking at the pair of us. "Hello, can we help you? Did you get lost from the party?" He asks kindly, no hint of suspicion in his voice.

"See, son, lovely young ladies can be found right here." Carlisle jokes, looking at me, then his eyes slip to Rosalie and stops. His mouth gaps open, then shuts, very much like I've seen fish do.

"Dad?" The really _hot_ son of my cousin's biological father calls, I guess he wasn't used to his Dad doing the fish face.

"Irina?" Carlisle's voice is barley a whisper. Rose takes one sharp breath then rushes for the front door.

I'm so stunned, torn between Carlisle's calling my cousin by her Mom's name, though they do look a lot alike, and the fact my cousin just left me in the lion's den.

Well, and the fact that I didn't know she could move so fast in heels.

Carlisle's head turns towards me, as does his hottie son's. The look on his face is hard to decipher. His son just looks stunned, and very confused. Carlisle looks stunned as well, but also angry, dumbfounded and a little bit… well, the best word for it is 'awed'. Deciding that this was my cue to exit stage, I give a small wave before speed walking towards the door.

Only, I'm not as lucky as my cousin. A large male hand wraps around my shoulder, pulling me back, and I'm turned to see a stern-looking Carlisle Cullen holding me hostage.

"I don't think so. I have this feeling that you and I need to talk, young lady." Is all he says, before pulling me towards the office he and his—still hot, and still very confused-looking—son had just exited.

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**AN2: Unless stated this is all Bella's pov, though there might be a few chapters in other's view points or outtakes in their povs. **

**I know cliffhanger, reviews are appreciated, threats against me are not lol.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

******Merry New Years Eve all! Another early update :0) Sorry I didn't get to review replies this week, it's been busy with the holidays. Also there might not be an update next week, it all depends on what the doctor says about my Mom on Friday. I'm pretty stressed waiting for the latest test results to come in.  
**

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**Bella's POV**

Carlisle's office was nice. Filled with family pictures of both Esme and himself; along with ones of the hot son and some blond guy who had a major surfer-dude appeal about him. The desk was clearly an antique that I'd love to admire more, sadly Carlisle's grip on my shoulder and his talking to his son was distracting me from perusing the office better.

"Edward, why don't you go join your Mom and entertain our guests?" Carlisle tells his son, not taking his eyes off where he has me seated in a very nice chair on the guest side of the antique desk, or at least it looked antique.

"No, Dad, I think I'm going to stay right here." Hot, and commanding, if he wasn't my cousin's secret brother, I might be tempted to lick that nice strong jaw of his. _Clearly I'm not, because I'm so much stronger than that and it wouldn't be loyal to my cousin whom I love to bits and pieces. It is a very nice, lickable jaw though. Sigh._

"Edward..." he trails off as the office door opens and a younger version of Carlisle Cullen steps in. And although there are some differences, still this guy is clearly related to Carlisle.

"Hey, Dad, Mom wants to know when you're coming out to the party?" Young Carlisle asks.

"Jasper, tell your Mom that I've been detained, and I might not make it out today."

Jasper looks over to where I'm seated, then to his hottie brother and back to his Dad. Then repeats the motions one more time and shakes his head. He opens his mouth, shuts it then shakes his head before looking back at his brother.

"Ed, am I going to be an uncle?"

I take a glance down at my stomach, and look back at my _least_ favorite Cullen brother, the one who just basically said I looked pregnant. My stomach is flat. Yeah, I'm a size six and not a size zero but I'm a very healthy person and I'm in need of cutting a bitch right now.

"Jasper, you are an ass. No, I'm _not_ going to be a Dad. I just met this girl whose name I haven't even caught yet..." He looks at me and gives a lifted eyebrow that makes me want to lick that to. Damn him.

"Hey, Bella, where'd you and Rose get to?" Emmett comes in behind Jasper, his happy smile still on his face. "I was worried the two of you got lost."

"Ed, meet Bella. Bella, meet Edward." Jasper, laughingly introduces us, as he plops into the chair beside me. "So, Bella, where is this Rose and is she single?" He does this waggle of his eyebrow that I'm assuming he finds attractive. "You, me, Ed and this Rose, if she's hot, can go out. Maybe get some drinks, paint the town red."

"Uh..." I'm not sure how to tell him that unless he intends to go all _Flowers In the Attic,_ he probably doesn't want to date Rose. I don't get to though, because the teddy bear giant picks him up and glares into the smaller man's eyes.

"You don't speak to ladies like that, and you are not going anywhere near Rose… I mean, _either_ of them." _Nice save, Emmett._

"Boys, all _three_ of you need to go out and join Esme at the party. Bella and I have things to talk about." Carlisle's voice was very serious, and I have to say he was making me nervous with wanting us to be alone.

"My Dad's a _cop_," I say all of a sudden. Okay, so I probably was just getting it out there so he'd know my Daddy would look for me if he tried to bury my body somewhere on this big ass estate of his.

All _four_ men look at me like I've grown an extra head, Emmett giving me a goofy grin and Jasper looking like he might be rethinking going near Rose and I because of my Dad's gun —I mean, _job_— while the other two Cullen men just look at me like I've grown an extra head.

"Boys, I need you to go out to the party and check on Esme," Carlisle basically repeats as he stands up pointing to the door. "Young Ms. Bella and I need to talk, _even_ if her father is a _cop_." He gives me a look and I swear his eyes are sparkling with held-in humor, or is it mirth? Either way, I wish my Dad, the cop, was here right now, with his gun.

"But, Dad!" Jasper argues, while Emmett and the hot one —I mean, _Edward_— look at each other before grabbing the whinny one and leaving.

"We'll talk about this later," My future walking-the-kitty-time-spank-bank-material tells his father before giving me one last look and dragging his brother behind him. Emmett gives a wave and helps move Jasper along.

"So, Bella why don't we properly introduce ourselves?" He phrases that _statement_ like it's a question, but the firm note in his voice tells me it isn't. It tells me that he means it as much as his son meant they were going to talk about "this" later. "You probably know that I'm Carlisle Cullen, that this is the home that I share with my wife and family. That I'm friends with the mayor and Governor, and how bad it would look for a cop to have his daughter arrested for trespassing." Uh oh, Carl is going to play hard ball.

Of course, Carl playing hard ball with Aunt Irina is how we got Rose, but I digress.

"Umm… I'm Isabella Swan, most people call me Bella. This isn't my house. I'm also friends with a mayor, she changed my diapers when I was little, but that's in a different town, so it probably wouldn't help me here. Ahh..." I really didn't know what else to say.

"Well, Ms. Swan, let me ask you this, who was that young lady that rushed out of here like her ass was on fire? And what are the two of you doing here?" His left eyebrow lifts, and I swear he is totally giving me the John Black from Days of Our Lives glare.

"Rose, umm… she is my cousin Rosalie Hale. We came to the party." I felt it was safest at this point not to say 'we climbed over your neighbor's fence and crashed your party', he'd probably call his friend the Governor and I'd be in a world of shit.

"And may I see your invitation?"

"The guys who are parking the cars are taking them." Rose and I saw that much.

"The valets were giving _back_ the invitations, for those who like to keep their invites for memorabilia." _Busted._

"Mr. Cullen, I swear, Rose and I weren't trying to hurt anyone or anything."

"Do you want to tell me why _Rose_ ran so quickly, if you had no intentions of hurting anything or anyone?"

"She's a little excitable." Not a lie, Rose is pretty high strung.

"Isabella, tell me what is going on. Now." Oh, shit. The 'Dad voice'. I can tell it. My Pops pulls that one out when he is tired of me trying to evade him like the time Rose and I snuck out to go to a party we weren't allowed to go to and I spent an hour doing the evasion game. I got the 'Isabella, spill, now' from him. Childhood fear of that tone and phrasing is probably why I start spilling my guts here.

"Rose wanted to see you in person, but wanted to do it without drawing attention to herself. So, she thought that coming to a party here where a lot of people would be milling around would be the easiest way to do it." There, I didn't give away the biggy, and I still told him the truth.

_Don't judge me._

Carlisle gets up and walks to the large window behind the desk. He looks unsure, like he's not positive he knows what he's going to say next. What he wants to demand of me next. I feel bad for him, so much so that my inner self defensive snarky lady shuts up long enough for me to think again. I look at the him, then my gaze slips to the shut doors just beyond me. I'm pretty sure I can make it to them, but with my luck I'd never make it out the house. My parents didn't nickname me _Grace_ for no reason.

I didn't have to run for it though, the doors cracked open and Rose stepped back into the room. Her eye makeup was ruined, and tear-stains ran through her blush. Her face though was set in a determined way, kind of like her hot secret brother Edward's had been when he was getting all demanding with his Dad. Well, _their_ Dad.

Carlisle turned as he heard the door, looking back over at Rose. He stared at her like he wasn't sure if he should ask her what was at the tip of his tongue. It was almost like he was having this inner struggle over reaching over and grabbing onto my cousin and demanding she tells him everything, and wanting to let us both go and pretend he'd never come across us—across _her_.

My cousin's existence had to upset the perfect little life that the Cullen family had here, it was a sign that at one point around the time Edward was born Carlisle had been with someone other than Esme. Even though they were divorced, the divorce was quickly a thing of the past for the two of them. They had a new beginning with a new wedding and then two kids.

My cousin was a sign of that time in their lives when things weren't right, the time that if the photos all over this place are to go on, they didn't like to think about. Everywhere, in this office, pictures of Esme and Carlisle hugging or looking lovingly at one another littered the room. I felt bad for her, she'd been so nice and my cousin and I were going to shake her world. Unless her husband gives into that side of him that wants to just shoo us out the door and play dumb.

"You're Irina's…" he trails off.

"Daughter," Rose tells him firmly. "Rosalie Lillian Hale, I was born the 3rd day of October, 24 years ago, this year." She continues. "For years, I believed my Father's name was Max Hale, until my parents got divorced and I found out that he wasn't my father. My Mother didn't want to tell me the truth that a man named Carl that she'd had a brief affair with was my Dad. You see, she was ashamed not only of the fact that this affair was so short with a man she really didn't know that well, but also how he treated her after the affair. The man who is my biological father is the man who never returned her phone calls when she tried to call to tell him about me—a man who looks at me right now and sees her, but also the man she sees when she looks at me."

"Oh, shit." Is all he says before plopping in his chair. "All this time, all this time and I…" he trails off again and Rose shakes her head.

"I told myself I just wanted to see you. That seeing you once would be enough. I'd get some closure seeing you and your life just one time in person. I never planed on talking to you, or confronting you. I didn't want to upset your little world. Though why your world should be kept perfect when mine was torn apart by the truth I can't figure out now. You see, the more I think about it, the more I realize how easy it would have been for you to just answer the damn phone. Or get one of your minions to at least answer and tell her not to call again—something to show some respect for the woman you fucked six ways to Sunday and then left with an 'I'll call you', and gave no further thought to. It would have been a simple call to take, you could have said 'I'm back with my wife', Mom would have been fine with it. Hell, she saw it on the news. All she wanted to do was tell you that I was on the way, or later when she called to let you know that I was born. She wasn't going to ask for support, or anything. Just give you the chance to know your daughter."

"I didn't… that number. I just…" She holds up her hand and shakes her head.

"I've seen you, you know what my Mom always wanted you to know. Now, I'm taking my cousin and we are going home. You're a powerful man, if you want to know me it won't be hard for you to find me. I'm nobody's dirty secret though, so I won't be hidden in a box away from your wife and kids. That doesn't mean I want to get to know you yet though. I never realized until I saw you up close how much anger I have for the man who abandoned my Mom, even if you had gotten your life back, she is a living breathing human being, and the least she deserved was a phone call to say 'I'm sorry'."

With that Rose jerks me out of the chair and out the office and then the house. She had brought our car out to the front of the Cullen estate, so we didn't have to walk far. She tosses me the keys and slips into the passenger seat. As soon as I pull away, her tears start to fall again.

~0~

It took three hours of ice cream therapy and a little Irish coffee to warm us back up, before Rose was ready to talk. She told me about how she got to the car and realized I wasn't with her. That she barely remembered rushing out of the mansion. She was torn between coming back for me, or calling my Dad to rescue me so she didn't have to go back in and face Carlisle.

You she it also hit her that her father remembered her Mom. That he wasn't so drunk that he 'accidentality' gave her the wrong number, or forgot her face. He remembered Irina, enough to know Rose was related to her on sight. It plain pissed her off, and that is when she pulled herself together and came in to not only rescue me, but to face down her fear and anger with big Poppa.

"Oh, crap! What if he goes after Mom because of this?" She jumps up and rushes towards the phone.

"Rose, calm down, why would he?"

"Think, Bella. Rich and powerful people have their own rules. He'll want to punish Mom for keeping me from him, or keeping me or something along those lines and he'll… I have to call her." She grabs the phone off the end table and goes to dial.

"Rose, do you really think..." I'm cut off when she slams the phone back on the base and looks at me.

"You're right. Pack a bag. Something like this needs to be said in person, not over the phone." She starts racing for her room.

"Rose, we've both had a little too much to drink to take off tonight." I grab her arm and pull her into a hug. "Cuz, think before you act." Oh, great! I'm quoting my Dad here again tonight.

"Did you just quote Charlie's 'think before you act'?" She giggles. "You sounded just like him, I swear." I'm hoping me channeling my Dad has distracted her from her mission to get to my aunt.

"Rose, tomorrow is Sunday, we can drive down in the morning, spend the day with the 'rents and break the news to Aunt Irina that you and Carl had a face-to-face that no one will ever forget. Then if things are going well, we'll come back and be able to work on Monday, or call off if things are going to be a mess. We both have enough sick days and built up vacation days that it won't hurt us to miss just one day if we need to." I'm rambling, I know this.

"Okay we'll leave in the morning."

"Good, now how about another drink. It's been a hell of a day?"

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**AN2: Hopefully you all like this chapter...a review would be a great New Years gift for me :0)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

******Anyone as cold as I am today up in the Buffalo, NY area?! I figured I'd send this out early (since it is done) to give people something to do while trapped inside today.  
**

******Visual Aids are going up on the blog, however I have been considering a facebook group to share the visual aids since some people are having problems viewing them on the blog. If you are interested in the facebook group let me know in your review, if I don't hear from anyone about it, I will just keep posting the visual aids to the blog. I personally like visual aids when writing so I hope that it is nice for you all as a reader. **

******I'm going to put an update on my Mom at the bottom since so many of you wonderful ladies (and gent) have asked, and sent your love and prayers. **

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**Bella's POV**

The drive back home to Forks was quiet and tense. Rose woke me up at 3:30 in the morning to get on the road as quickly as possible, and a tired Bella and Rose are not a friendly Bella and Rose. As I drove Rose watched out the window, lost in her own thoughts, while I kept my grumbling to myself about impatient cousins, and sucked down a huge coffee that I picked up from the gas station where we filled up Little Bug, our car.

As the 'Welcome to Forks' sign came into view, Rose tensed up even more, while I relaxed thinking about that lovely nap I had planned in my old bedroom. And even though my dreaming about a nap might seem cold, I'm sure it shouldn't be! I mean, it's not even 8 am! No one is going to be up or around—more than likely—at our houses.

It's Saturday, my parents have their routines. Dad will be off fishing with Uncle Billy and Harry. Mom will be in bed till at least 9:30. Around noon, Dad will roll in, lunch will be eaten. Dad will take his nap while Mom and Aunt Irina go get their hair done at Ms. Maddie's house. Then around 6 my parents go on their weekly date to the Lodge. Qne if they are feeling frisky or it's an anniversary, they will head up to Port Angeles for a fancy night out. It worked for them, and I hoped one day to have that with someone too.

"Bella, you just drove past the house." Rose pointed back towards Aunt Irina's house which was two houses down and across the street from my folks'. It was a recent move, but one that worked for both her and Mom.

"Sorry, Rose, nap time was calling me at my folks'. Forgot about dropping you off first," I mumble around the coffee cup that was almost empty, yet still firmly attached to my mouth.

I manage a K-turn using Shelly and Frank Cope's driveway, and head back to my Aunt's place. Pulling in the drive, I turn to say 'see you later' to Rose, when she turns off the car and steals the keys.

"I need you to come in with me. I don't want to face her alone." She gives me the puppy dog eyes, and a few tears begin to form and I cave. Thinking I can always crash out on their couch for awhile, if nothing else.

"Fine, but Aunt Irina is probably sound asleep, like most normal people that don't have to work or go fishing on Saturday mornings." Okay, so Dad's obsession with fishing probably isn't normal, but he's a great dad. Works his ass-off and loves me and my Mom to no end. So, I figure he deserves his little quirks of obsessive-fishing. I mean, it's not like he ever woke me up at the butt-ass-crack of dawn to go with him. Unlike Rose who is always waking me up way too damn early if she wants to do something—like getting up at 2:30 am for Black Friday shopping. Or at 5 am for the first day of college, when your first class isn't till 10 am.

It's a damn good think I love her crazy ass.

"Bella," is all she says in that firm older cousin voice, but the wobbling bottom lip, and sad eyes have me sighing and getting out of the car.

Rose unlocks the door and we walk into my Aunt's ultra feminine house. I swear, though pretty, it's like the Shabby Chic collection threw up all over her house. After getting her divorce, my Aunt was determined to make her house _her_ house. Well, she did let Rose pick out her own comforters and things. Everything else was all Irina.

A flash of black and white rushed at us, leaping at Rose. I had to laugh, poor Bingo had no idea he was no longer a little puppy. A mix of border collie, corgi and undetermined origins, Bingo was a year and half old rescued from the local SPCA when he was only six weeks old.

He and two siblings had been dumped in front of the shelter when they were barely four weeks old. The volunteers had worked like crazy to make sure all the pups made it, and thankfully they did. Each one did end up in a great forever home, and the jerk who dumped them had been found by my Dad, and arrested for animal endangerment. Seems he was a breeder of corgis and his prized dog ended up mating with the wrong male, so he dumped them off instead of taking care of them in order to get his dog back in the breeding game. Dad was able to get the animal endangerment to stick, thanks to the age of the puppies when left at the shelter unattended. He then had the poor corgi removed from the man's home, since he wasn't allowed to own a pet for at least the next ten years.

Should I mention that the corgi Momma's name is Trixie and sleeps in the bed with my parent's now? Yep! Dad fell in love with her and took her home. Now Trixie is a fixed, pampered, spoiled little sweetie who is probably doing her favorite thing right now—out on the boat fishing with my Dad.

"Bingo, you big goof! That's enough!" Rose tells the little guy, all the while giggling. _Real firm there, cuz._

"Rosie? Bella? What are you doing here so early?" My still young looking and beautiful Aunt Irina comes in carrying a big cup of coffee, still in her light pink bathrobe.

"Hey, Mom." Rose puts the chunky dog in my arms going over to hug her Mom.

"Well, hello, daughter mine, and niece of mine." She laughs as Rose hugs her tightly. I put Bingo down with a good pat to the head and head over to the small cream colored sofa and plop down gently.

"Hey, Aunt Irina," I greet belatedly, as the dog jumps on my lap. If Bingo can find a lap to lay in and some loving to get, he's a happy boy.

"Bella, there is more coffee in the kitchen, dear." She laughs, looking at the clock over the piano. "Wow! I'm surprised she even has you awake this early in the morning, let alone the time she would have had to get you up to get here by now." After it registers that I'm up way before I ever function on the weekends, and that her daughter is still clinging to her like a spider monkey, her eyes refocus and she gets that Mom-knows-something-is-up look. "Rosalie Lillian Hale, what is wrong?" She pulls away, setting her cup on the end table and grabs Rose by her hand, looking into her daughter's eyes intently.

"Well...umm...you see..." she trails off helplessly, looking over at me.

I swear the girl can tell a huge, powerful man, like Carlisle Cullen, off, but can't tell her Mommy that she went to confront her bio-Daddy in person.

"Isabella?" _Oh shit._

"Bella, please!" Double shit is my only thought asRose begs. I can tell she wants me to tell her Mom what happened. Of course, tears are running down her face at this point, and Irina is looking like she is about to start crying too. I swear, we are a family of sympathetic criers.

"Well, so… Rose found out that...then she talked me into it...we didn't get arrested, that's a plus." They are both looking at me like I have two heads. My rambling wasn't helping anyone I guess.

"Arrested? What did the two of you do?" Aunt Irina demanded.

"Mom..." Rose trails off again, and I wish she'd just spit it out so I didn't have to—or at least let me take a nap before we did this.

"One of you better tell me what is going on, or I'm calling Charlie, he'll get it out of you."

Oh shit! If she calls Dad in off his boat, we are all in for it. The Chief doesn't like to be disturbed during his fishing trips. No really, Mom went into labor with me when Dad was out fishing, and people still swear he was crankier than Mom was until I was popped out. He saw my sweet little face and forgot about that big mouth bass or whatever it was that got away. Unfortunately, I don't think seeing my face would help today.

"Rose and I got dressed up in clothes we shouldn't have bought, and crashed the annual Cullen summer garden party which they give for their foster kids charity. Rose wanted to see Carlisle in person and, well, she did. Then all hell broke loose because she ran for it and left me there, and he gave me the third degree. Anyways she came back to save me and then she yelled at him, and dragged me out of there before I could lick her hot half brother, who did I mention is really hot and lickable?" Whew! I got it out.

"Really, Bella? Lickable?" Rose is glaring at me, while my Aunt looks at me like I've got two heads.

"Hell! That copper-headed hottie was so damn lickable." Okay, I really do need more sleep. My filter has broken completely.

"Bella, I think you should go down to your parents, Rose and I have some talking to do." _Hallelujah._ "And, Bella, take a nap before you tell your father how lickable some boy is." I nod.

"Are you all going to be okay?"

"Bella, it will be fine, Mom and I need to talk," Rose assures me.

Giving both of them a hug and Bingo one last ruffle I jet out towards my parent's house. Though worried about leaving them, I'm sure they know that I'm not too far away if needed. I can't help but think though that the pair need some time to talk things out without having to worry about a third party—albeit a related and very involved third party—Involved in what is going on.

Leaving the car in the drive, knowing that in the tired/emotional state, that driving even just a few feet isn't a good idea, I walk the few houses down to my folks' place.

Ahh, my parent's house. How to explain it to someone who has never seen it? Well, you know that one house in most neighborhoods that is a bit _unique_? Well, that was their house. Bright yellow with white trim and a black porch. It screamed at people to notice it was there. The inside wasn't that much subtler. Well, the living room and my Dad's man cave/den were normal—lots of beige, browns and creams. The rest of it, not-so-much. Think lime-green bathroom, a master bedroom that has orange walls, every kitchen cabinet in various colors and my room has a hot pink bed cover. Yep! This house is proof that my nice sedate Father loved my crazy Mom beyond all reason.

And I hope someday to find a man who will love me as much as he loves her, and that I can love him as much as she loves Dad.

Unlocking the front door, I wave at my Mom on the couch on the way up to bed, then stop and turn around. My Mom was awake on the couch already? Looking at the clock it was about twenty after nine, we'd been at my Aunts longer than I thought.

"Hi, Mom." I go over crawling up beside her, and laying my head on her shoulder. _I love my Mommy._

"Hello, baby girl, I was wondering when you'd get over here, Shelly called about twenty minutes ago to say she saw your car over at Irina's." Ah, neighborhood gossip, and the ever-vigilant Mrs. Cope. "I thought you were coming next weekend?"

"We were, but Rose needed to see Aunt Irina today, so here we are."

"What's going on?" My Mom knows me too well.

"Rose got a wild hair up her butt and had to go meet Carl, so she and I crashed his wife's party, and boy did she ever get to meet him." I go on to tell her everything, including about the copper-headed hottie that I kinda/sorta dreamed of the night before.

"That hot, is he?" Yep. My Mom is as bad as me, hehe.

"Completely yummy. Though the blond brother seemed like a spoiled perv, at least one of them seemed alright."

"Renee, I'm home!" Dad yells, coming in the front door, not noticing the two of us on the couch. Trixie does, though, and rushes over on her little legs to give me some love. "Bells! Damn, I'm a lucky man. All three of my girls in one room, and I caught two Salmon that are both over twelve pounds." Dad, and his fishy-smelling self comes over and kisses the top of my head, then lays one on Mom. It's one of those awe-ewww type things most kids go through with parents who are that much in love.

"Hey, Pops, I'm going to go take a nap. Rose got me up before you were even up today more than likely, but mmm, I do love me some Salmon." It was a hint and he took it.

"How about grilled Salmon for dinner tonight? Mom and I can go out tomorrow, if that is okay with her?"

"It's fine with me, it's not everyday our little girl makes it home to see her old people." I roll my eyes and hug them both before heading up to bed, with Trixie behind me. She heard the magic word—nap—and was ready to join me.

~0~

Naps are wonderful things. No, seriously. Took only two hours, and I feel like a whole new woman. Trixie does too, she is up jumping around and ready to find Dad, or should I say 'our' Dad, since he babies her more than he ever has me? Not jealous, at all, I just find it cute how _my_ Dad is with Trix.

"Okay, girl, go find Daddy," I tell her, opening my bedroom door.

And she is off, her little short legs rushing towards wherever Dad is right now. It's probably a good thing we don't live over in the two story white house my Grandpa Hank lives in. Her little legs might not work so well on the stairs.

"Hey," I greet my parents, walking into the multi-colored kitchen. Trixie was getting belly rubs from Dad, while Mom was drinking some weird green drink. Probably her latest 'cleansing mix'.

"Hey, sweetie, feel better?" Mom asks, and I smile giving her a nod in the affirmative.

"Ladies, I'm going to get the grill heating, and let Trixie girl do her business." Dad kisses Mom, then pecks me on the side of the head, heading out to our little deck area—or what I call, his dream BBQ'ing area.

"Have you heard from Rose and Aunt Irina?" I ask Mom, grabbing the orange juice from the fridge.

"Irina called to cancel going to Maddie's today with me. She and Rose are just having some Mother, Daughter time. She said things are better, and she thanks you for keeping your cousin from rushing here last night in the state she was in."

"So, they are cool?"

"From what I gather, Rose was upset and felt bad for dragging you into this. Irina was ticked, but understood that her daughter really wanted to see her biological father. It was a mess, but they seem to be working things about between them. Irina called the therapist she used after the divorce, and both of them are having an emergency meeting with her this afternoon."

"That's good for them. I'll be honest I felt in over my head with what was going on. I wanted to help, I still do, but it is so hard to know exactly what to say and do. Plus, messing with the Cullen family probably isn't the safest thing in the world. They have way too much money and power. Carlisle even informed me that he was friends with the Governor, and let's just say… as someone who'd like to have a good job one day, and has two parents that work for the state in one way or the other, pissing someone with ties like that off, is not on the top of my list." She gives a knowing nod.

"Irina told me she told Rose the same thing. That there were other ways of going about this, that didn't involve possibly getting arrested, or getting Carlisle Cullen after our family."

"I'm not sure what her other options where though, Mom. I mean, the man never called Irina back, and let's face it, he isn't the easiest person to get a hold of."

"Billionaires! Can't call them on the phone, and can't crash their garden parties without all hell breaking loose." Mom jokes to lighten the mood.

"At least, I didn't have to call Dad to bail us out."

"Oh, Amen to that, little girl. Amen to that."

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**AN2: Thanks for reading, next chapter is going to be in a different POV, and I will put a teaser up on Friday on the blog. Reviews are always good to warm us up on a cold day *hint, hint***

**My Mom had her last radiation treatment (hopefully) Monday, and now she has to wait 6 weeks before they give her another MRI to make sure that the treatment stuck. So far the only real side effect she has had is fatigue, the doctor's are amazed at how well she is doing...most patients getting total brain radiation get major headaches and loss of weight she has actually gained 4 pounds and hasn't had but a minor headache when she gets overly tired. We firmly believe that the power of prayer is helping her through this, and we are going to keep thanking God and asking him to continue gracing us with his love, because we honestly feel that He is helping us out. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :0) !I couldn't do this without ya sis :0)  
**

**********Hope an early update makes up for lack of review replies. I suck at them I know, but you never know when I'll be sending one out again. Thank all of you who gave thoughts and prayers and love to my Momma! It warmed me so much and I passed it along to her as well.  
**

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**Esme's POV**

The kids were acting funny, looking back at the house then at each other. Emmett seemed perplexed as well, and as he is the easiest-going person I know, it was a dead give away that something was up.

Well, that, and the fact that my husband had yet to show up to the party.

"Esme, darling you've outdone yourself this year." Carmen Martinez came up to give me those oh-so-fake-but-oh-so-used-often-in-"society" air kisses.

"Carmen, so glad you like it dear," I tell her, though I really want to send all these people home, pull on my yoga pants on and chill out in front of the TV with a good sappy Lifetime movie.

"Your lovely assistant, Alice, seems to have everything in hand for you, darling. I bet you have to do so little now that you have her trained so well," she said with a complementary smile that felt like a stab that both Alice and I couldn't mistake. I, sometimes, really wish we could just give all our money away; and go live in some small town with real genuine people instead of so many of these backstabbing jerks.

"Alice is a gift, and I'm ever so grateful for her assistance."

"As you should be, girl, let me tell you I've tried to bribe her away several times, but she never wants to leave you." Jane McCarty, Emmett's Mom—and perhaps one of the most genuine and loving people I know—chimes in, giving Carmen a look that has her trotting off.

"Bless you, Janie," I tell her with a wink, and she holds back a full on belly laugh.

"Please, like that fake-breasted twenty-two year old trophy wife would want to be seen with all size twelve, forty-something me, with the self-made husband and athlete son. She's too busy pretending that she was born to money instead of marrying an almost seventy year old man for his wallet—and growing up in Compton."

"I heard a rumor that before Eli, she was some gang banger's girlfriend." Alec, Jane's younger son, who was named after her late brother, joins us. Carmen is not liked by many, especially by the McCarty's.

"Carlisle did a background check on her for Eli eons ago, and I can confirm that sometimes rumors are _true_, but I can't confirm which ones." I laugh, teasing the sixteen year old.

"So, whats up with Em, Jasper and Eddie?" he asks looking at the trio all huddled together. "I went over there to talk with them, and they said they needed to do some 'grown up talking' and sent me on my way." He did little quote marks and glared at the three older men. Poor guy. He so resents being the youngest of all of them.

"I have no clue, but I have this feeling that it isn't something I'm going to like." I shake my head. "Last time they were like this, Jasper thought that he had gotten some girl pregnant back in high school."

"Ah! I remember that, Brianna Hampton, her Daddy's fortune fell and she decided that a Cullen could afford the lifestyle she saw her self deserving. Carlisle handled that well when he told the pair of them that if they thought they were old enough to have a kid, then they were old enough to get jobs and support themselves. Threatening his trust fund; well, that sure sent Miss Hampton rushing off, and the pregnancy test turned out to be a false positive test." Jane growls the Hampton girl's name. Brianna hadn't been pregnant, and Carlisle had an inside source at her family's home that let him in on her plan.

"Last I heard she was working in Vegas at a gentlemen's club and her Dad was working at an H and R Block. A huge step down from broker, but then again he wasn't very good at his job, and liked to slip his investor's money into his own pocket," I tell her, feeling like a gossiping old woman.

"Esme, I need you and Carlisle to head to the stage, it's time for the raffle and auction." Alice slips in quietly, to get me back on track. Jane gives Alice a huge grin, at which Alice rolls her eyes and pretends to be embarrassed by the attention. Poor Alice likes to act so professional in these situations, thinking it will protect her from vicious gossip.

"Thanks you, dear, why don't you go grab Carlisle from the house, and I'll distract the masses from the fact he isn't here already?" I tell her, and she gives a sweet giggle before rushing off.

Alice was one of my success stories. Put into foster care as a young girl, she was all alone in the world. One day, when I was in the hospital for a board meeting, I saw a little head of dark hair flash by. It was Alice running off from her current foster parents, the ones who smacked her so hard for being "bad" that she was hurt. She remembered seeing that hurt people go to the hospital on TV, and walked the four blocks from her foster parents' home to the hospital to fix her boo boos. At the time, she was eight, almost nine.

I took charge, getting her pulled from that home, and kept her until a more permanent home could be found for her. Carlisle and I had talked about keeping her, but that wasn't meant to be. One afternoon, as Alice and I sat in the backyard reading a story, Jane came over to visit and it was love at first sight. Alice was taken in by the McCarty family, and though they were never able to adopt her because her biological mother refused to sign over rights, she was raised like a member of that family.

She is also the one who inspired me to run this fundraiser and to get involved with the foster care system. We help fund lawyers to protect the children's rights, and we also help children aging out of the system to find homes, jobs or even go to college if they want to.

All because of a chance encounter with Little Miss. Alice Brandon.

Going up on stage, I welcome everyone once again, and get the ball rolling to get some money for these kids who have had so little all their lives. Carlisle joins me mid-way through, looking frazzled and unsure of himself. I grab his hand and squeeze it, and he looks at me, his eyes full of love, shame and hurt all at once and I wonder what the hell happened today.

~0~

After the last guest left, and after Carlisle sent both boys to their homes because we needed to talk, I'm left with my husband in our quiet place just sitting there looking at one another.

"What is it, Carlisle?" I plead with him, as gently as I can. His blue-green eyes are filled with so much emotion that it's hard to distinguish what is going on in his head.

"I didn't know." He shakes his head then stands up and starts pacing. It reminds me so of our son Edward who paces like crazy and pulls his hair when he's thinking too hard. Father and son so much alike, yet somehow Jasper the one who looks the most like his Father is so different, personality wise. I worry about them all, but my youngest is often the one who takes all my energy when it comes to worrying.

"Didn't know what, honey?"

"You know I love you?" I smile and nod.

"I love you too." There would never be another for me, Carlisle was it, and I was his it. We lost each other once and since then we have built an even stronger foundation than we ever had before.

"Remember, after Gemma, when we..." He trails off, and the pain pierces my heart. Our sweet little Gemma, three months was all the time we had with her; and the loss of her led to the loss of us for that brief time. We were so young it was hard to cope, so hard not to blame ourselves and each other for the death of our little girl.

"I remember," I tell him gently.

"I told you about after we sighed the papers, how I got lost in my misery, lost in the scotch and..." he trails off again.

"And the _woman_." I knew about his moment, how he poured his pain out in alcohol and sex with a stranger.

"I found out today that she called more than once to tell me something after I left, after I found myself back to you and out of the bottle."

"Carlisle?" My heart in my throat, I stare at my love, wondering what he was about to say.

"I didn't know. I swear I didn't." He falls to his knees, his head in my lap, tears from his eyes break my heart. "She came here and she hates me so much, and I didn't know."

"Carlisle, who came here?" _I hope that woman hasn't come here after all this time to try and hurt my husband._

"Rosalie, my _daughter_ with Irina." I gasp and push up.

"You're _daughter_?"

"She looks so like Irina, but I could see me, I could see my Mom in her. She was like an avenging Valkyrie going into battle when she charged in to rescue her cousin." He looks strangely proud through his worries.

"Carlisle, how can you be sure? How could you have never known? I just… so many hows and whats are going through my head it is hard to figure out what to say and ask. Tell me what you know," I demand.

"The number I gave to Irina was for my old office, at the time. After you called and told me the news that you discovered we were having another child, and I rushed off to be with you, I gave her that number. I wasn't really thinking, but I gave her the number in case there were any consequences from that weekend. Only when I came back to you and we talked everything through, I took that time off and Felix took over that office." He shakes his head, looking down.

When I called him that night, I told him I needed him. That was all it took for him to rush to my side. I told him that I discovered that our last time together a little over four months before had left me carrying our child. Our second chance.

He told me then about his weekend with that woman, Irina. We worked through it, since we were divorced at the time, I never felt like he was cheating on me. He also went through an alcoholic rehab program, since after the death of our precious Gemma, Carlisle had turned to the Scotch bottle instead of me for comfort. Then again I wasn't much comfort in my own grief. He hasn't had a drink since that time he spent with Irina, and with couple's therapy we've learned how to lean on each other and discuss our problems out instead of internalizing them. Our relationship has only gotten stronger over the years, and I can't help but pray that this reminder from the past doesn't lead us in the wrong direction.

"Why did your cousin take over your office while you were on sabbatical?" Felix is Carlisle's Uncle Aro's only child. A bit of a playboy eveb though he has a good heart. However, he isn't the brightest bulb on the family tree, so I can't understand why he was in a vice president's office.

"At the time, Dad and Uncle Aro were trying to mature him, thinking that letting him fill-in for me was going to give him some motivation and direction. That quickly fell by the wayside though, very quickly. When I came back after Edward's birth, they changed his title from interim vice president of operations to vice president of employee morale."

"He's still vice president of employee morale."

"Well, he does know how to throw a good Christmas party, and the employee picnics are very well attended. In fact, production has been up since they gave him that job." We both smile at one another.

Felix, probably the only guy planning the company Christmas party making six figures a year.

"Carlisle, why wouldn't he give those messages?"

"Es, this is Felix, are we sure he even ever checked his messages?" He shakes his head. "This is all so crazy and messed up. I'm torn between hunting her down and getting to know her, and hiding away because I couldn't bear to lose you and me again. I love you so much, and I love our sons. But I have this other child out there that is part of me, even though she is a grown woman now. And I feel so robbed of not knowing her, but then, I feel guilty because if I did know her, it would have taken some of my time away from you and the boys. Esme, I just don't know what to do or what to think."

"I have an idea, just to make sure she is on the up and up, and to check into her story, call Jenks. He can do a background check on her, make sure she isn't trying to cause problems, make sure she is actually who she says she is. Then, we go from there." I stand up and go to put my hand on his arm. "No matter what, Carlisle, I love you, and I'm here for you. We are in this together."

"Forever," he whispers, kissing my forehead.

**Two Days Later...**

Jenks had come through with the preliminary reports. So far, all the information that Rosalie Hale had given Carlisle had been true. Her name, her Mother's name, her date of birth, not that any of that said for certain that Carlisle was her biological father.

According to the background check, Rosalie Hale lived with her younger cousin Isabella Swan in a small apartment in a blue collar neighborhood. Rosalie was a known hard-worker, and had a college degree with very little student loan debt due to scholarships, working during school and her Mother's fiscal help during that time period. She had one credit card, with a small $1500 limit, but she only owed $200 on the card, and she paid on time every month. More than likely in attempt to gain a higher credit score by paying on her debt. Her rent and bills were all paid on time every month, and she and her cousin shared a car for going back and forth to Forks, WA in to visit her mother and Isabella's parents.

On paper, Rosalie Hale came across as a hard working decent person, with no signs of her being a con artist or looking for a big paycheck by claiming to by Carlisle's daughter. And though Jenks was looking further into both girls, and their families to make sure that everything was as it looked on first glance, the evidence was starting to add up to her telling the truth.

Especially her AB negative blood type, which she shares with Carlisle.

We got lucky and Rosalie is a regular blood donator, so her blood type wasn't just on her classified medical record.

"Hey, Mom." Edward, my oldest son, comes into my small sitting room surprising me.

"Hello, dear. How are you doing?" I ask him, closing the folder with Rosalie's information in it and sitting it on the coffee table in front of me.

"Batteling programmer's block." He shakes his head and gives a ruffle grin. "Everyone thinks that the people who come up with video games have an easy job, but they fail to realize that we have to come up with story lines, levels, options and characters on top of coming up with the right codes, and other things needed for them to play with. Sometimes, I swear I'm going to step back from the creative process and just test what my staff comes up with, it would be so much easier."

"We both know you like to be in control of every detail too much to step back like that."

"You can say it, Mom. I'm anal. Jas tells me that all the time."

"No, son. You are a _Cullen_. Stubborn to the core, and have the need to oversee every little detail."

"And my Masen blood has nothing to do with that?" he jests, knowing how much of a control freak my Father is.

"Of course not, dear. The Masen family is known for its laid back nature," I joke back, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"So, what are you up to today?" he asks, glancing briefly at the folder in front of us.

"Just a little research," I tell him, not lying but not telling him everything. When we know the truth, then Carlisle and I will figure something out about telling the boys, together.

"Esme, you have a call, it's Mrs. Moore from Social Services calling about Miguel." Alice pops in, waving quickly at Edward before popping back out.

"I swear, that girl can sneak up on anyone," he jokes.

"Jane calls her the Alice in the box, since she is always popping in out of no where to startle everyone in the room." We both smile fondly before I excuse myself to take the call.

Miguel is a complicated case that the foundation has been helping out with. His Mom was alive, but in a mental hospital after having watched his father be murderer brutally. The boy himself had been at a friend's home for the night and thankfully missed seeing his father killed. His Nonna was too old to take him, living in a nursing home and we couldn't find any other family, both of his parents were only children. Instead he had been bouncing from foster home to foster home for the past fourteen months, his anger at his father's death and his mother's illness spilling over into his everyday life. And turning thirteen wasn't helping him either. I remember my boys at that age. Teenager angst isn't a joke.

"Mrs. Moore, this is Esme Cullen, how can I help you?"

"Mrs. Cullen, I hate to bother you, but Miguel has had another episode with his latest foster parents, and we need an emergency placement for him, till we can find another home willing to take him. We were hoping since you and Carlisle are still listed as approved foster parents, and since you and Miguel have met before, that you'd be willing to take him for a few days?"

Carlisle and I hadn't taken in any kids since Alice. However, we did get recertified when needed, in case there was ever another situation when we were needed. We both had agreed to be there for the children, so I knew he'd have no problem us having Miguel for a few days till he could get placed.

"Of course, Mrs. Moore, I'll be here all afternoon if you'd like to drop him off, or I can come and pick him up?" My heart breaking for that poor boy, and all his hurt.

"I'll be by in say an hour? I just have to finish processing the paperwork and then we'll be there."

"That sounds fine." We say our goodbyes, and I turn to go back to the sitting room with Edward.

Only to find him gone.

"Alice dear, have you seen Edward?" I call out and she emerges from the office across from the sitting room.

"He said he'd call you later, something came up and he had to rush out." She rolls her eyes and giggles. "Knowing Edward, he finally got an idea for his game and just had to get it done right this second."

"He was complaining about a block, so hopefully that is why he left so quickly." I pause, then change the subject. "Miguel is going to be here for a few days, if you could have Gina get some kid-friendly snacks in the house, and have her make up the room across from Edward's for him, I'd appreciate it." Gina is the general housekeeper/cook that has been with Carlisle and I for almost twenty years now.

"I'm on it." She makes some notes on here IPad. "Should I have the den made more kid-friendly? Maybe a game system or something for him?"

"Great idea, Alice." I smile at her initiative. "A game system would be fine, and some movies. Nothing too violent though." I pause then add, "and call Dr. Barnes, I think Miguel might need to talk with someone and the overworked state psychiatrist might not be enough for this situation." Dr. Barnes is a lovely child psychiatrist that donates her time with us to help the kids that has a great track record with helping the kids, that we've worked with, heal.

"Will do, boss lady." This time I'm rolling my eyes.

"You say that now, but come Christmas, it will be, ''Aunty Esme, I'd like'..." I trail off as she walks away laughing.

"More than likely, Auntie Es," she agrees with a wave backwards as she is off to pop in on poor Gina.

Going back into the sitting room, I pick up Rosalie Hale's file and wonder what to do next. If she is my husband's daughter, there is no way I can deny him knowing her. He's already lost one daughter—there is no way on God's green earth that I'd stand in the way of him knowing another. I'm just not sure how I'll be facing the reminder of the worst times of my life.

Squaring my shoulders, I make a plan and know what I have to do. Then sink back into my seat. It will have to be tomorrow, because Miguel would need me today, but tomorrow, I will face what it is I need to do.

Hmm… I could have sworn there was a picture of Rosalie with her cousin Isabella that was recent in here. I must be mistaken. At least, I hope I am. Or else, a can of worms might have been opened that Carlisle and I are just not ready to face just yet.

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**AN2: A little nervous about this chapter and how it is going to go over. The next chapter is already being written, almost 1000 words of it done so I think we are on track to update on time next week as well. **

**Reviews keep me posting because they let me know you appreciate the effort that I go to to get my little stories out to you :0)  
**

**I'm posting some fic recs/author recs on the blog dontrunffw blogspot com with working links this week for those who don't feel like copying and pasting story ids, author ids and the such to find something to read, for those who don't mind and don't feel like going to the blog my fic for A Family for Alice is a heart warming tale that I can't get enough of. **

**Story id 7978010 A Family for Alice: Being parents wasn't the top item on Carlisle and Esme's to-do list. But when a little girl in Esme's kindergarten class needs a home, can the young couple be everything she needs? AH. (Complete)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**As always thanks to the lovely TwiDi for cleaning up my mess :) ! **

**Sorry this is late its been a rough week here at the dontrun house. Here is the update.  
**

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**Bella's POV**

After Sunday Church, Rose and I head back to Seattle. The night before all of us had hung around the fire pit in my folks' back yard, with the dogs and my Grandpa Hank. It had been peaceful after Rose and Aunt Irina worked their things out. I have to admit, I was worried. However, thankfully, things worked out without Grandpa having to get his gun, like he'd offered Rose.

"So, what did Aunt Irina say?" I ask Rose, as I drive.

"Basically, that she understands why I felt the need to see Carl, but that she wishes I had gone about it another way. She also said that she wished I had warned her ahead of time, so she could have been prepared in case he decided to confront her before I had a chance to get there." She gives a weak smile. "I think her biggest point though was, no matter what, she loves me. And that she'll never stop loving me. She also said, if I want to get to know Carl, and he wants to get to know me, then she doesn't want me to hesitate for fear of hurting her, because she is over him and over what happened."

"Did you believe her?" I ask a little shocked.

"Yeah. Mom said Carl might have broken her heart, but she'd never really _known_ him to love him. She told me he gave her the greatest gift, her one true love. _Me_." We both smile at that. "And while there was no future for them, still I shouldn't discount a relationship with him _if_ that is what both he and I want. Oh, and the biggest news, Mom met some guy named Larry. She says if things are going right, next time we come down she'll invite him over to meet me."

"Auntie Irina got her a man." I laugh then frown. "It's kinda sad that she has a man and you and I are forever on the single's train."

"I know, right?" Rose and I get a big laugh that is part relief, and part just straight on laughing at feeling sorry for ourselves.

"So, that Emmett guy seemed to like you at the party," I add a little knowing tone to my voice.

"He was yummy, though he looked so familiar. Oh hell, what if I just called someone related to me yummy? I am so not going to go all '_Flowers in the Attic_'."

"Oh, speaking of that, let me tell you about _your_ crazy half-brother, the horn ball, named Jasper, who was only concerned if you were hot and wanted to take you out." I go on to share the rest of the whole 'Jasper' thing from Carlisle's office with her and we are laughing like crazy by the time we pull into our parking lot at home.

The drive had taken a little over three hours due to traffic but we got a lot of talking out, and gotten back to our usual loving, happy selves. Though, we were both happy to be off the road, I have to admit I missed being home with my folks and Trixie. The weekend was just too short, though the amount of stress and drama that we had going into the weekend could have added to the feeling of it being just too damn short.

We spend the rest of Sunday cleaning, doing laundry and watching reruns of _Leverage_ on Ion. We don't talk about Carlisle, or the Cullen party. We _do_, however, discuss the idea of going to grad school, or at the very least, applying for better jobs. Rose had seen where EC Games were hiring, and was thinking about applying there. The Seattle-based video game giant made some of her favorite video games, and she was about to cream her jeans with excitement at the idea of working there.

Sadly, Monday dawned way too soon, and with it both of us head back to work. So, I get up and head to the shower to prep for the day, and then out the door to work.

I have to say, the best part of working at Pet Smart was the cute pets that came in with their owners, the worst part was the owners who brought in their clearly unsocialized, mean-as-shit pets. Don't let anyone tell you that a pitbull is a mean dog, because Mr. Smithers—yes, the owner, is a huge Simpsons fan—has to be the sweetest dog in the world. He comes in twice a month for food supplies with his Daddy, and he never causes a problem. However, Chewie, the Pomeranian, is the meanest dog I've ever seen—even biting his owner as they go through the store. Today, my manager, Scott, finally banned Chewie from the store, when Chewie tried to take a chunk out of a kid in there with his parents.

With our schedules, I usually get home before Rose, and I leave before she does in the morning as well. Knowing how bad the past few days had been for her, I decide to be a nice cousin and cook us up some dinner. So, I pulled the chicken breasts out and start sautéing them. My plan's to make chicken fajitas, spicy rice and black beans, which was simple, yet oh so tasty.

To get in the mood for our spicy food, I turn up the music and get my groove on while cooking. Shaking my booty to the jams on the radio, I barely hear the knock at the door. Turning the temp on the meat down, so it doesn't burn, I rush over to look at the peephole, a little stunned at who was knocking on the door.

"Hi."

"Sorry, I left my keys on the dresser this morning. At least I hope I did, because I can't find them," Rose explains, coming in.

"Go check, I need to get back to finishing up dinner. Be ready for an explosion of spicy chicken and other spicy goodness." I laugh, waving her towards her room.

"Thanks, cuz, give me a few, I want to wash the Metro off me."

"_Da nada_, and take your time."

With Rose washing the Metro bus off her, I get back to my happy dancing and cooking. An old Ricky Martin tune comes on, and my booty start shaking like it was going out of style. Cause who doesn't like it when he's living his la vida loca?

"Gosh, that smells awesome!" Rose exclaims, coming out in her soft light blue sleep shorts and a white cotton sleeveless top that she loves to sleep in.

"I am _da_ _cook_. Well, at least tonight I am. You are so not getting out of your turn tomorrow," I joke and we dish up our feast to go plop in front of the TV for the evening news.

Diane Sawyer was going on about world affairs, and some cute correspondent guy did an exposé on American-made, which reminds me to ask Rose if she applied for the job at EC Games yet.

"I submitted my application online last night," she replies, "hopefully they'll call for an interview so I can wow them. I always feel like the interview is so much more important than the application, because what looks good on paper doesn't always in person."

"You sound like my Dad." I laugh. "He's always telling us, 'while you have to get it in writing, don't forget to see it with your own two eyes first'."

"That's why his deputies last longer than most other small towns' in our area, he checks them out in person, over their applications and just 'knows' when they are the right fit."

"He is good about getting the right guys," I agree.

After putting away the food, we both take our spots on the sofa to play Wheel of Fortune 'cause we rock it like the senior citizens. A knock pulls me away from kicking Rose's butt at solving puzzles, and we both look at each other like _who the heck could that be._

"I'll get it," I offer, since I'm still in jeans and T-shirt, while she's in her jammies.

Unlike earlier, the shock of who was on the other side of the peephole went far beyond the _why the heck is she knocking, _and more into the _what the fuck?_ realm. I give Rose signal to go throw a bra on, and she rushes off into her room. Yeah, we have that signal down pat since we both love letting them swing free. Slowly opening the door, I force a smile through my anxiety.

"Hi, can I help you?" I ask politely.

"Isabella, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am." I fight the urge to curtesy. "How are you this evening, Mrs. Masen-Cullen?"

"I'm fine, dear. May I come in? I'd like to talk to Rosalie." Even though she asked, I can tell she is determined to come in, so I stand back and wave her in.

"Can I get you something to drink?" My Momma raised me right, and I know to mind my manners. Plus, this is Rose's step-Mom, and I really don't want to be the one to cause problems there.

"I'm fine, thank you, though."

"Please, have a seat, I'll just get Rose."

"Thank you, again." She sits in the recliner, though doesn't lean back as I go towards Rose's bedroom and tap lightly before walking in.

Rose is in the middle of throwing on jeans and a T-shirt herself, her eyes wide and her face full of fear. I can tell she has been tossing clothes around her closet, probably trying to decide what to wear.

"Rose, umm… she wants to talk to you," I kind of stutter out.

"I gathered that, Bella." She snorts. "The question is, _why_?"

"Maybe we won the raffle?" I jest, trying to take the edge off, while Rose glares at me.

"Or _maybe_ she found out how lickable you find her son and came to complain." Her eyebrow goes up, and I have a flash of that copper haired hottie that I'd love to lick and hump—simultaneously, if possible.

"If that was the case, I think she'd be asking for me." I roll my eyes at her, trying to lighten the mood. "Want me to stall?" I offer as I pull myself out of my hottie hot sex haze.

"No, I'm ready," she states as she finishes her rushed dressing job, and walks past me head held high to face her bio-Pops wifey.

"Rosalie, thank you for speaking with me this evening," Esme says, standing to face Rose, holding out her hand to shake. Rose, having been raised right by her Mom, takes Esme's hand and shakes it politely before sitting down on the sofa.

"So, I'm gonna just go in my room and give you two some privacy," I offer, heading towards my door.

"Bella, please stay? I'd appreciate it," Rose asks, doing those pleading puppy-dog eyes that got us into this in the first place. Okay, Irina and Carlisle getting it on got us in this in the first place, but still I'm blaming Rose's puppy-dog eye look.

"Yes, Isabella, please stay. If it makes Rosalie more comfortable, it is perfectly fine with me."

"Alrighty then," I say, sitting beside Rose.

"Ladies, first I'd like to say that I am sorry for just showing up like this, and so late in the evening, but I really felt that what I have to say needs to be said in person," she pauses, before taking a deep breath. "Carlisle doesn't know that I'm here. I will tell him later, we don't keep secrets from each other, but I knew if I told him my plan to come here, he'd want to come along and really Rosalie, I didn't want you to have to deal with that pressure. From what we have ascertained of this situation, you had no knowledge of your Mother's and Carlisle's indiscretion until after it was dropped on you in a public place by the man you believed to be your father. So, this whole situation is almost as new to you as it is to us." She looks at Rose, who nods slightly.

"It was during their divorce proceedings," she tells Esme.

"That had to be a shock." Esme gives a sad smile. "I'm not going to go into the details that I know Carlisle wants to tell you himself, but I did want you to know that he didn't intentionally ignore your Mother, nor did he know about her calling until just recently, when you and Isabella told him about it. I won't lie and say this is an easy situation for any of us, and we still have to tell Edward and Jasper about what is going on. However, and I truly hate to do this because it just seems rude and inappropriate, but it is a necessity, I was hoping that you'd consent to a swab DNA test. I am in no way questioning your Mother, or you, I am not calling either of you liars or attacking your personalities. Looking at you, I can tell that you bare a striking resemblance to Carlisle, but when this type of situation arises, it is always best to have all your ducks in a row."

"I understand," Rose says simply. "I understand that when you are as powerful and rich as your family is, you have to be careful. I will consent to the test. I would like to say though that I, in no way, want anything to do with the power or money in the Cullen family. I'm not even sure I want anything to do with the family. Period."

"Rosalie dear, I'm hoping you'll give Carlisle a chance to tell you his side of the story before you completely write him off. There is far more to the story than you or your Mother knows about." She leans forward and looks intently at Rose. "I love my husband, Rosalie. I love him so much. I would never deny him the right and privilege to know his own child. If after the DNA test confirms our strong belief that you are Carlisle's daughter, I would like to have a small dinner to introduce you to him and your brothers. A quiet affair, that you are more than welcome to bring Isabella, and even your Mother to. It would probably be easier for Carlisle and myself to explain this story just once, since there are some extremely painful memories attached to it."

"Wait. Are you saying you'd actually let my Mom come to your 'family' dinner?" Rose looks skeptical, but looking at Esme, I'd swear she was telling the truth.

"I bear no ill will towards your Mother, Rosalie, and I'm sure she'd like some closure as well. I've know Carlisle since my junior year in high school, and I've known I loved him and that he loves me since that day. We had…—well, that is part of the long story, but anyways the separation actually made us stronger in the long run. So, yes I'd welcome your Mother into my home, without worrying that my husband would have another indiscretion with her."

"I'll have the DNA test, I really don't mind. I also understand, since there is an off chance that Dad—I mean, _Max_ whoever he is might be wrong. I can't promise anything else yet. I'm sorry about that."

"I understand." She stands up and reaches into her purse. "This is my card; on it is my cell phone and my assistant Alice's number, should you not be able to get in touch with me. On the back is the address of Dr. Patrick Drake's office, if you go in there and give your name, they will pull you in the back and take the sample. You don't need an appointment, and all the costs are already covered. The results will be e-mailed to both you and myself within a few days—he said around three to five days for the results to get done. The office opens at 8am and closes at 6pm Monday through Friday. However, if that doesn't fit your schedule, I can probably talk Patrick into staying late or opening early for you."

"I can be there about 8:30 tomorrow, it's no problem." Rose stands, and takes the card.

"That sounds great." She smiles. "Rosalie, Isabella, thank you both for your time, I'm sure you both need to talk about what I've had to say, so I'm going to leave you to it. Please, feel free to call if you need anything."

Rose walks her to the door, showing her out before locking us back up. She turns and looks at me, jaw dropped and head shaking in disbelief.

"She is either the best actress in the world, or a freaking saint," Rose blurts out.

"I say we err on the side of caution, and take her at her word, but keep it in the back of our minds that she might not be telling the whole truth."

"Agreed."

**Esme does mean well, but will she really be able to face Irina? Hmm there will be some drama and angst, but nothing to bad I promise. **

**Reviews are always welcome, and appreciated even if I don't always have a lot of time to reply to them all. **

**This week I'm rec'ing a book series the Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neil. **


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